Hi I’m Nick Beggs. A bass guitarists, Chapman Stick player and vocalist who was born in Winslow, Buckinghamshire, England on the 15th December 1961. Wow! Was it really that long ago? That means I must be older than cling film! My Mother was named Joan Tofield and my father, Herbert Beggs. I also have a sister, Jacqueline who is only two years younger than me, but that still makes her older than Techno.
The name Beggs is of Irish origin and means: The rocks at the foot of a sea-facing cliff.

After the death of my mother in 1979, I followed in the footsteps of many great musicians and dropped out of Art School. (Barnfield College in Luton actually.) But while still studying I crossed paths with Steve Askew, Jez Strode and Stuart Neale, three local lads who impressed me with their desires to become professional musicians. It was their vision that caused me to turn my back on the easel and water colours, and be lured into the world of the 3-minute pop song. For this was our quest over the next few years, to identify and create a ditty so infectious; from which not even penicillin could offer sufficient protection.

And so it was in days of old before the invention of Pot Noodle, that we found a lead singer who was coined Limahl and we called ourselves Kajagoogoo, a name that rose up in my mind and struck me as a good idea at the time. During our forays for inspiration I took a job as a dustman (Trash Collector) {Refuse Technician} [Garbage management operative] and within 18 months of forming the group we signed a major deal with EMI records. We were on the road to popdom.

But my music career didn’t begin with The Goo. Oh no! Prior to Kajagoogoo, my first band had been, Johnny and the Martians (formed when I was only 10) which consisted of two friends, one on trumpet and the other on acoustic guitar. Oh and me, on drums. This was followed in 1979 by the formation of my college band Art Nouveau that later became Kajagoogoo.

After the global success of our first single Too Shy, released in 1983 we followed this with Ooh to be ah and Hang on now, both of which were top 20 hits in the UK. We toured our debut album White Feathers across Europe during which time Too Shy reached number 5 in the American charts.
The band went on to record two more albums with ever changing line-ups and continued to tour extensively.
Islands was released in 1984. And Crazy people’s right to speak was released in 1985. Both featured me on lead vocals.

Between 1986 and 1987, I concentrated on writing with various other songwriters and finally formed Ellis, Beggs, & Howard in March 1987.
This band scored a European hit with the single Big Bubbles no troubles in 1988 but split in early 89 due to inclement weather and unstable management conditions.

Soon after I was invited to join the progressive folk band, Iona.
I recorded two albums with them which I still love listening to, The Book of Kells and Beyond These Shores. I also continued working with various artists and bands including Alphaville, Belinda Carlisle, and Led Zeppelin’s former bass player, John Paul Jones.

In 1996, I met Howard Jones on a flight from the United States and a special friendship was established. Howard invited me to tour as part of his band, which I continue to do from time to time.
I’ve also worked with bands and artists such as ABC, China Crisis, Cliff Richard, Curiosity Killed The Cat, D:Ream, Engelbert Humperdinck, Emma Bunton ,Gary Numan, Go West, Kim Wilde, Maddy Prior, Mark Shaw, Michael Bolton, Midge Ure, Nena, Nick Heyward, Polysics, Rick Waller, Right Said Fred, Seal, Steve Howe, T'Pau, Then Jerico, Tina Turner, Tom McRae, Tony Hadley, Toyah Willcox, Robert Fripp, Vinnie Colaiuta and Warren Cuccurullo……. CLANG!!!!.... That was the sound of me dropping names!

Due to my twitchy pen finger, I have contributed to various guitar publications and was a staff writer for Bass Guitar Magazine.
I’m also a Patron of the London based guitar and bass school, Guitar-X.

In 2001 I recorded and released my first solo Stick album, titled Stick Insect, and The Maverick Helmsman followed this in 2004.

Between 2004 and 2008 I collaborated with my dear friend and Goo Band mate, Steve Askew on a group project known as Industrial Salt. After all our hard efforts we scored a chart hit in Japan with the single Loop & Loop (Under The Thunder) and toured there with the band on three occasions.

In 2008, following our one-off reformation for VH-1 Bands Reunited, in 2004, Kajagoogoo returned with the 5 original band members and recorded a 4 track EP titled Death Defying Headlines and we toured throughout the UK and Europe in 2009.

I continue to work live with Kajagoogoo, and am a member of the Kim Wilde band.
In 2009 I was invited to tour with ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett and I played bass for him on his new album Out Of The Tunnels Mouth.
We will be touring the UK, Europe and North America in 2010 so please come along, enjoy the music and buy me a pint.